A West Auckland family have been repeatedly harassed - and in one incident their car was graffitied. Photo / supplied

Police investigate death threats against family in quiet Auckland street

Author: Luke Kirkness, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2019, 1:51PM

UPDATED 4.30pm

A West Auckland family has been harassed for weeks, culminating in a letter telling them to get out of the country or the writer will "exterminate you myself".

The campaign of hate began five weeks ago on May 26 when a car parked in the West Auckland family's garage and another out on the street had their tires slashed.

The mother, 35, who asked not be identified due to safety concerns, said she notified police but they had told her it was probably just mischievous teenagers.

In an attempt to protect her family, she placed CCTV cameras all around the home to try to catch the perpetrators if they came back.

On June 4 they did, and their cars were targetted again. A white car parked on the street was spray painted red all over its side.

The family believe all of the incidents are related, culminating in this letter. (Photo / Supplied)

Despite contacting police again and passing on the CCTV footage, she said police told her it was too blurry to identify anyone and no further action was taken.

A week later on June 11, the mother saw CCTV footage of a person, she thought a teenager, placing a dead mouse in their mailbox.

She ran outside and tried to catch the person but they ran away. Police were called again but nothing came of it, the mother said.

After five days, on Sunday, June 16, the perpetrators visited the home again and left a dead pigeon in the mailbox.

In the most recent incident on Sunday night, a threatening letter was left in their mailbox which horrified the mother, prompting another call to police.

The letter read: "Get the f*** out of my country motherf***** before I exterminate you myself, your cat eating son of a b***."

"[Police] came to our house straight away when the letter was in my mailbox. They brought four police cars with some dogs," the mother told the Herald.

"But I do not understand why they could not find the guy … I still have not heard from the police about my case."

Police Area Commander for Waitakere Inspector Stefan Sagar said they have spoken with the family and carried out a number of inquiries.

"We will be continuing our inquiries, which will include speaking with neighbours on the street," Sagar said.

"We would like to reassure the public that police take matters of this nature seriously and will do everything we can to hold whoever is responsible to account.

"Police have spoken with the individuals concerned, have carried out a number of inquiries, including canvassing CCTV footage and undertaking a forensic analysis from the scene."

The family, made up of the mother, her husband and two children, 2 and 4, live in an otherwise quiet area of Massey, West Auckland.

They moved to New Zealand a year ago from South Korea after hearing many great things about the country, including its low rates of crime.

However, following a year without any hassles, the family is now on edge after being targeted in recent weeks.

"I feel totally different while I am staying in Auckland. Especially after I have been through all this accidents, I feel even worse," the mother said.

"I feel so worried and threatened...if it was just one or two times of prank, then I could move on.

"I do worry about my family's safety. I am a mum. What else can be the most important in my life rather than my children?"

The mother said neighbours on the street had comforted the family following the incidents, with some checking on them each day to see that they were okay.

Her boss and workplace had also been very accommodating and supporting, offering to help if the family needed alternative accommodation.